Young toddler at home - rainy afternoon inspiration!!

[Hollyontherampage]

My toddler goes to nursery a couple of mornings a week as that's all we can manage. I'm still trying to up my freelance work after pandemic. Anyway she's 21 months. I have found it tough to know what to do with her at home of late. I try to take her out as much as possible, but sometimes it's not possible or weather stops us. This afternoon I set up a lot of arts and crafts stuff during her nap, made it all look exciting and lots to keep her and I busy. We sat and she made a collage which took us about 10 minutes. The then had a mini tantrum about something and then she wanted to get down from the table. Now as it's raining and hailing outside I've got about 4 hours to fill! She's currently playing a game on the iPad.

What do you do on days like this?

A long bath with lots of bath toys
Baking
Unfortunately that’s all I can muster because I’m very sleep deprived

Wellies and rain coat/weather proof zip up outfit and out ye go!
I am in Ireland if we didnt go out in the rain the kids would have been hermits :-) Seriously it will do them the world of good.

I used to do reading/animal songs/throwing small balls into a basket/ a pop up tunnel/ roll a football/ I think at one stage I used they both chased the cat laser for a bit. Strange things caught their interest - yoga - they used to "join in" - it helped me keep sane (ish)

Setting up a bowl and letting her ‘wash up’ her toys would amuse my dd for a decent length of time. Protect the area with a few towels and let them have at it.

Dance! - stick some tunes on and start dancing, haven’t met a toddler yet who doesn’t break and join in! Gets some of that pent up energy out,

Baking is a good idea. There’s a lovely cook book - tickle fingers I think - that is aimed at preschoolers and has recipes created specifically with them doing a lot of the preparation themselves.

Build a sheet/pillow fort and let them arrange their toys in there so it’s a proper den.

Hide and seek - this is quite a good one if you need to get some quick chores done whilst they’re hiding.

Embrace a bit of screen time - don’t feel guilty about it. I don’t mind admitting YouTube basically taught dd her colours and counting!

Thank you! Great ideas!

Sticker books, puzzles, long bath, different shape dry pasta and bowls, tea party on the floor with stuffed toys, ‘helping’ hang laundry or make lunch, dolls house (mainly putting things to bed, lots of books, train tracks, putting me to bed on the floor.

And one trip out whatever the weather - to the corner shop for a croissant or to the park in wellies for puddle splashing. We have to go out every day.

Sticker books

Ah yes! Stickers are a great idea. Melissa and Doug do good reusable ones (they’re all scenes I think). We’ve had about three years out of ours so far.

If your after inspiration for a trip - ikea. Dd actually asked to go for her third birthday 😁 it’s like one big play house to her and she just wanted to sit on all the chairs.

For a "baking" idea, try icing normal digestive biscuits. Takes all of 2 minutes to set up and minimal mess. DS also likes making his own "pizza" using a tortilla.

Craft wise, those magic painting books are good. Minimal set up and clear up is essential for me at this age, when nothing holds their attention for more than 2 minutes!

The Melissa and Doug reusable stickers on the patio doors or a window.

Chalk pen colouring on the patio doors.

Hey Duggee playlist dance party (give me strength)

Let her ransack a kitchen cupboard or two

Long bath

Tuff tray/sensory play
Painting with brushes, carrots, on paper, giant cardboard boxes
Colouring
Housework!
Baking and cooking
At home soft play - put all the sofa cushions on the floor
Make a den
Read books and songs
Rotate toys
Go for a wander around the supermarket with a ten minute visit to the cafe
Playing with ice
Pretend play, cafe, doctors, building, going to sleep, looking after a doll
Playdoh, cloud dough, gloop
Small work
Make obstacle courses

Post-it’s on all available surfaces
Spray bottle with nothing in it, or big of water sprayed at old cardboard.
Old envelopes as ‘post’. Filled with scraps of paper- either take bits out or rip up to put in, then post through a chair.
Rolling along living room floor.
Drawing on windows with whiteboard marker. Then helping to clean them.
Sofa cushions on floor to make trampoline park.
Painting with cheap watercolours in bath. Or painting with no paints in bath.
Poking things into lumps of play dough (paper, sticks, cutlery, pasta, tin foil).

No elaborate activities. At this stage they are driven by developing particular skills so won’t be motivated by a ‘result’ (ie, pretty picture). But will be motived by repeating a skill that meets a developmental need (poking will develop finger strength, for example)

Also, make clean up part of activity- always put all dirty paint-stuff in bath, with child and slow running tap and drink coffee till both child and paintbrushes are clean. You use it-you clean it

Some of these are genius! Thank you!!

What is "small work" please?

If the weather is horrible I usually go out anyway otherwise I find time goes backwards stuck inside. Even if it’s raincoats on/rain cover on buggy and walk to the supermarket/shops. It kills time I guess. I walked half an hour in a blizzard this morning to get to soft play!

Sorry small world, mini animals and people like happyland or little dinosaurs.

It can be a bit of a struggle with just one. Do you know any other parents with young kids, as a playdate/mums coffee date does me the world of good and pre Corona I tried to arrange at least one of not more every week.

Other than that yes to rainy day clothing and going for a walk, yes to messy play in the bath or in a tuff tray, no to anything that takes longer than 10 minutes to set up - or clean up - they have such short attention spans at that age it's not worth it. A sticker book or colouring pens are great easy ways to do arts and crafts. A big box if you get a delivery of anything makes a great toy, sit in it or colour it or tear it up.

Get her to help you with household chores or preparing food. Takes ages but they love this stuff and it's easier to get them involved at this age.